Essay about Condoms and the Illusion of Safe Sex

The health belief model (HBM) is a psychosocial model that was developed during the 1950’s by social psychologists of the U.S public health services, and this model was used to explain why people failed to participate in disease prevention and detection programs. The theory is one of the most health behavior theories, which is used to explain behavior change and maintenances, but often times used to predict behavior outcome (Glanze, Rimer, & Lewis, 2002).

The condom is a barrier device that is used since ancient times. Many couples do not want to get pregnant but still want to have sexual intercourse. In this circumstance, one way is to wear a condom. AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), is a pandemic that caused 36 million deaths worldwide (citation: UNAIDS.org, 2012) caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). One of the reasons why it spread so quickly is because of sexual contact. The men’s body fluid (semen) is spread into the women’s body, which means the woman is also contracted with AIDS. But with the help of the condom, the number of people newly infected by AIDS greatly reduced. The condom does not stop AIDS, it stops AIDS from spreading.

Unfortunately for educators, some parents believe that comprehensive sex that provides students with condoms as well as instructs them on how to properly use them will make their child more likely to engage in intercourse. This is false, as it has been proven that with proper instruction, “levels of condom use at first intercourse increase while levels of sex stay the same” (siecus.org). This information alone should be enough for parents to but their confidence in comprehensive sex education.

Many questions and concerns have come about regarding this promotion of condoms being distributed in public schools. Will it lower teen pregnancy rates? Will condoms reduce sexually transmitted diseases? Will the distribution of condoms in public

In the essay “Condoms: the New Diploma”, by Rush Limbaugh published in his book The Way Things Ought To Be in 1992, Limbaugh talks about how distribution of condoms in schools can lead to teenage promiscuity and encourages sexual activity at an early age. Limbaugh’s use of Reductio ad absurdum counter attacks the opposition’s argument on condom distribution and is effective since it is hard to attack the opposition.

A condom is a latex sheath used to help prevent AIDS and STDs. “The United States has seen an estimated 888,575 cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), with 718,002 of those cases in men, 159,271 in women, and 9,300 cases in children under thirteen years old” (Witherbee, Amy) and these numbers for AIDS and other STD’s have been on a constant rise. Most unfortunately 25 percent of the U.S STD infections are teenagers (Rich, Alex K. Sprague, Nancy). This is a result of a lack of condom use and education. To resolve this problem parents and leaders have tried to teach teens that abstinence is the only way to prevent disease. While this is very true the number of STD cases have still been increasing. Many Americans still believe

While in high school, most teenagers between the ages 13-17, will have attended at least one sex education class. Instead of using the “Abstinence- Only” approach, schools should consider on teaching students the “Safe- Sex” approach to increase their knowledge on potential health risks involving sex. Increasing their knowledge not only increases their awareness, but lets them use their knowledge in the real world and let them form their own decisions, whether they be bad or good.

The condoms thing is not it (but it is part of it). Let me get this out of the way, first. We are talking to the young people (and adults for that matter) like they are animals who have no control over their urges. Yes, we have sexual desires. Yes, sometimes it’s difficult to fight them. But we are not irrational beasts. We are human beings. We have the ability to control our urges. We cannot just tell our young people something is evil – but since they are weak, we expect them to do it anyway. That’s comprehensive sex ed in a nutshell; we tell the young people around us that we don’t trust them to be anything more than dogs in heat.

The introduction of the condom in the 1700’s was very important. The first condoms were made of animal intestines. They were not nearly as effective as the latex condoms of today (Wikipedia, 2). Even so, according to 1920’s and 1930’s studies, the male condom was the second most popular form of birth control, with withdrawal being the first (Gordon 63). Interestingly, the condom was not originally accepted as a form of birth control. Instead, it was championed as being a shield against venereal disease. After WWI, the acceptance of the condom as a form of contraception was more widely recognized because even people who were opposed to the use of birth control understood its value in preventing disease. This helped lead to its increased use, and decreased some of the stigma to which it was attached (London 4).

The century-long epidemic of cigarette smoking has caused a public health concern of epic proportions. As health concerns about tobacco developed during the 1960s, the federal government moved in and initiated Tobacco Control laws. Smoking among adults in the mid-1960’s was prevalent with 42% of the population smoking compared to 18% in 2012. In 1964, the first report of the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health identified smoking as a cause of increased mortality.

With the approach currently implemented, the CDC has seen an alarming rise in the numbers regarding pregnancy rates and STDs, with the majority affecting 15 to 24 year olds. This is resulting from the ineffective and misleading

The teaching of abstinence to students can cause them to change their mind about having sex. Yes there are ways to have safe sex, but condoms do not always prevent adolescence form contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Over the past several decades multiple sexual education programs have been introduce into the nation’s school systems, but they do not appear to be working consistently (Quincy). Since my ninth grade year of high school each and every year more and more girls were turning up pregnant. Some of them are even pregnant with their second child; it is not because they are careless but because of lack of

The United States has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD’S) compared to other developed countries (Darroch, Singh, Frost, 2001). There are several arguments when it comes to sexual education being taught in school systems. Many parents fear their student will learn too much at young age and won’t know how often sexual education is being discussed. Children in today’s society are going through puberty at young ages and obviously waiting years to become married. According to Health News (2009), students in the United States 12 years of age had already participated in vaginal intercourse by 12%, 7.9% of 12 year old students participated in oral sex, and 6.5% participated in anal sex. The statistics just mentioned are very startling! Teenagers becoming sexually active by age 14 are at a higher risk of having multiple sex partners throughout their lifetime. A study found about 8 in 10 males and 7 in 10 females had become sexually active by age 19 (Guttmacher, 1981). Another survey proved 64% of males and 44% of females were sexually active by their 19th birthday. By 15 years of age, 7 in 10 males and 5 in 10 females reported having sexual intercourse (Masserman & Uribe, 1989). Proper condom use is important to be taught to students. Many sexually active teens don’t know how to properly use condoms. Proper condom application will prevent the risk of unwanted teenage pregnancy, spread of sexually

Many Americans have long and wrongfully assumed that the best approach to decrease teen pregnancy and spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is by committing students to an abstinence-only sex education. However, professionals have repeatedly revealed that while abstinence-only sex education programs have good intentions, they have shown both consistent and positive correlations with pregnancy and STDs. In contrast, research has indicated that high schools who offer comprehensive sex education and provide access to contraceptives, such as condoms, are extremely effective at preventing both teen pregnancies and STDs without increasing teen sexual activity. However, “condom availability programs remain relatively rare” (qtd. in Eisenberg 417). While I am aware that these comprehensive sex education and condom provision programs are unpopular amongst many people, I truly do believe that these programs have the potential to drastically drop teenage pregnancies and spread of STDs.

Students that are sexually active need to have access to condoms to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases. Teens have problems with birth control for several reasons, and because of this lack of birth control teens are more susceptible to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.